The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1887-12-15
The Columbia Row-Prcacher Cor.
denim the Columbia Club.
special 10 Charleston Sun.

COLUMBIA, November 90.-Much com.
meht and discussion has been caused
here, especially in certain quarters, by
reason of the somewhat sensational char.
acter of the sermons preached on Sunday
by two prominent clergymen, wherein
they criticised in no measured terms the
Columbia club, an institution which
includes among its members not only the
most prominent citizens of Columbis, but
most of the State officials and many of
the public men of the State.
Until recently Governor Richardson
was its president. The Rev. W. r.
Richardson, pastor of the Washington
Street Methodist church, based his Sun
day mornings sermon on the question of
temperance and the evils arising from
moderate drinking. The portion of his
discourse referred 10 in the above con.
nection is given below, the exact words
haTing been secured from the reverend
gentleman. himself:
ri go further and say that the greatest
enemy the church of the Lord Jesus
Christ has in this country is the licensed
barroom. There is but one thing worse
than the licensed barroom, and that is
the unlicensed barroom. But you say
we have no such thing as that in our
midst. I beg your pardon, we have.
There is an unlicensed barroom in the
capitol city of our State. Itpays United
States license, but no city, State or
county license. 1t is not called bar.
room. Oh, no! 1t has respectable
name. Its objects are said to be social
and literary. In the name of all that is
decent I denounce the Columbia City
Club as an outrage upon decency (; and
who is responsible? Well you know, and
I know"
Those in attendance on the Sunday
evening service ct the Baptist church
were treated DISCOURSE rom the apes.
tor, Rev. W. G. Lindsay, ii the course Of
which he denounced the Columbia club,
and said that he had it from reliable
citizen that the club gambled, not all of
its members, but as club they permit.
ted it. He had heard also that they
gamb!ed on the Sabbath. If these things
were not true, and if he were so informed
by any member of the club he would
make recantation from the pulpit ofwhat
be was going to say. If they were true
he charged the Columbia club with cor
rupting public morality, which was a
more serious offence than outraging pub.
lie morality. He said there were three
great agencies in corruptipg morality:
Drinking rooms, gambling ROOMS and
bawdy houses. The club, if all that is
said was true, needed only the addition
of an assignation room to include all
three. The recognized gambling room
was an outrage on public morality, but
when respectable citizens practiced gam.
bling under the auspices Of respectability,
they were committing the grandest
offence citizen could commit against
the State, in SO far as they used their
influence to make gambling respectable,
and he trusted these gentlemen would
make the club what it claimed to be, a
purely social and literary life in all
harmless ways.
The bitterest.. sentiment against the
club here, however, is among the liquor
sellers, who cannot see the justice of their
having to pay 5000 license to be allowed
to sell liquor, while an. institution which
has undoubtedly robbed them of much
custom is allowed to sell to members
without taking out city or county
license at all. It is rumored some of the
barkeepers threaten to turn their estab.
lishments into private club houses as
soon as the term for which they have
taken out license expires. 1t is further
understood the matter will enter into the
next municipal election and that the bar
men will strive to have elected aldermen
who will insist upon making the Colum.
bia club pay q license.